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"The ‘all in the mind’ myth of ME/CFS" by Dr Keith Geraghty in Nursing In Practice

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Just published today - nice going, @Keith Geraghty! :thumbsup:

Keith Geraghty said:
Health professionals should be made aware that ME/CFS is not a psychological illness and in order to improve patient care, nurses need to better understand this illness and its impact on patients.

Nurses often witness close-up the impact of acute and chronic illness on patients. Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME)/chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is one illness that nurses may encounter that causes profound life changes for many sufferers.

This controversial illness is sometimes presented as a psychosomatic disorder that requires psychological treatment. However, there is no compelling evidence that ME/CFS is a mental health condition and increasing evidence shows it is a biological disease with a range of complex symptoms.

This article discusses how the ‘all in the mind’ myth of ME/CFS has permeated both medical discourse and popular culture, with negative consequences for patients living with this poorly understood condition. ...

Read more at:

http://www.nursinginpractice.com/ar...gic-encephalomyelitischronic-fatigue-syndrome
 

Effi

Senior Member
Messages
1,496
Location
Europe
@Sasha I was just going to post this too! Excellent article.

Practical tips for nursing practice are as follows:

· Sufferers experience profound fatigue – nurses may be able to ensure patients are not left in waiting areas for long periods of time.

· Sufferers experience cognitive problems – nurses may assist patients in medical consultations, perhaps asking whether the patient understands the information provided.

· Sufferers experience sensory overload – nurses may ask patients if they require a quiet area or darkened room, or on home visits, nurses may avoid causing sensory distress by speaking quietly and ensuring mobile phones are turned off.

· Sufferers symptoms vary and fluctuate – nurses should liaise with family members or care-givers to get a personalised account of the patient’s health status and care needs.

· Sufferers often feel disbelieved and anxious – nurses may reassure patients, particularly if they convey empathy and knowledge of the illness to the patient.
:thumbsup:
 

PennyIA

Senior Member
Messages
728
Location
Iowa
This is a really great article! Very happy to see that not only do we see good recommendations for what nurses can do, but I love that they called out and cited WHY it's not a psychosomatic disorder - the more we can get people to see that kind of information, the better.
 

Dolphin

Senior Member
Messages
17,567
https://www.facebook.com/MEResearchUK/posts/1213879948657260

ME Research UK
2 hrs ·
Not ‘all in the mind’

http://bit.ly/28YPAMP

The latest issue of Nursing in Practice has a very clear and informative article by Dr Keith Geraghty summarising the evidence that ME/CFS is not ‘all in the mind’ as sometimes claimed. As he says, health professionals like nurses need to be aware of this so that patient care can be improved: “Nurses have a valuable role to play in assisting and supporting patients…Nurses should not underestimate the power and importance of the nursing position to relieve suffering, prevent harm and promote better care for ME/CFS patients.”

The full article can be read at the link above.